Improved washing-machine



y NrTED STATES PATENT j l OFFICE.

JAMES HANOHETT AND JOSEPH R.\GILL, OF CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED WASHING-MACHWE.

Specification forming part ofLetters Patent N0. 40,688, dated November 24, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES HANCHETT and JOSEPH B. GILL, both of Charleston, in the county of Gole and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved GlothesWashin g Machine 5 and we do hereby declare that the folowin g is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe ac- (ompanyin g drawings, making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l is a `side sectional view of our invention, taken in the line a' Fig. 2 Fig. 2, a plan or top view of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. l; Fig. 4, a section ofthe same, taken in the line z z, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct our invention, we will proceed to describe it.

Ais the suds-box, the bottom a of which is of curved form, as shown in Fig. 1. The sudsbox has a set-oii', B, at one end, in which a wash-board, O, is placed. This wash-board is constructed similarly to the ordinary hand wash-boards, one side being fluted and the other side being smooth, and it has notches b b in its lower end at each side, which rest on pins c at the sides of the suds-box. This wash-board, when used as such, rests on the end of the suds-boX, as shown in red in Fig. l, and when not thus used it rests on pins d at the sides of the suds-box, and serves as a cover or slop-board for the washing apparatus, as shown in tint in Fig. 1, and prevents the suds from splashing or iiying out of the sudsbox.

D represents a swinging pressureboard or plunger, which is composed of a luted board, e, and a valve, j', the former being attached to two arms, g g, the ripper ends of which are suspended by pivots h h in the upper ends of the supports E of the suds-box. The valvef is connected to the part e by joints or hinges r', as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At the upper parts of the arms g g of the pressureboard or plunger there is secured a soapbox, F, which also serves, in connection with the Wash-board C, to cover the washing apparatus and prevent the suds from splashing out ofthe suds-box.

The Washing apparatus is composed of the pressure-board or plunger D and a stationary pressure-board, G, the latter having a vertical position and iluted obliquely, as shown in Fig. 3, the flutes from each side of its center bein g inclined outward from their upper ends downward. This board G is directly in front ot the plunger D,and by having it luted, as described, the clothes when pressed against it by the action of the plunger D are prevented from sliding up against the sides of the suds-box and being compressed into wads, acontingency of frequent occurrence in washing-machines ofthis class. By our arrangement the clothes have a tendency to pass toward the center of the board G as they are pressed against it.

'The pressureboard or plunger D is operated as follows: An arm, H, is attached to the lower parts of the arms g g of the plunger D by a shaft, j, the journals ot which are tted loosely in said arms, and to the outer end of the arm, H, abent or curved metallic bar, I, is attached by a hinge or joint, k. This bent bar, I, passes over the back end of lthe sudsbox A, and is attached to a shaft, J, which has its bearings, K K', secured on the sides of a slop-box, L, attached to the back end of the suds-box A. e v

To the curved or bent bar I, at its elevated part, there is attached at right angles a bar, M, which projects beyond the side of the suds-box and is connected by a link, N, with a lever, O, which is titted on a pin, l, at one side of the suds-box. By this arrangement a suf cient length of swing may be given the plunger D, with a moderate length of movement of the lever O, and children may operate the machine equally as well as a grown person, the lever O being curved downward at its free or disengaged end so that it may be conveniently grasped by children. The Weight of the bent bar I materially aids in operating the plunger, as it assists the lever O both in vits upward and downward movement, and it admits of a deep suds-box being used, and a direct action at the same time being obtained on the plunger without complicated connecting rods or bars. The length oi' the stroke or swing of the plunger D may be varied by connecting the link N to the lever O at difter- 'ent points, several holes being made in O for that purpose. The lever O is secured on the pin Zby having a groove, m, made in it, in which groove a pin, u, which passes through the lever O fits. (See Fig. 4.) By this arrange- 2 v v l 40,688

supported by wheels P, the axle Q of which is fitted in the lower partsof two of the supports E E. These wheels admit of the Inachine being readily moved or transported from place to place, and are a great convenience.

The bearings K K' of the shaft J are attached, one of them, K, permanently to the klip-box L, and the other, K', is attached by a pin or screw, n', which passes through one end of it. These bearings have each a series ci' holes, o, made in them to admit of the plunger D working nearer to or farther from the board G, to suit the quantity of clothes being washed and also the kind or quality of clothes. The journals of the shaft J may he tted in any of these holes by turning outwardthe bearing K', which will admit of the shaft J being withdrawn from and inserted in any of 1h'e holes. The bearing K' is secured in position by a hook, p, or any other suitable fastening. The slop-box L catches any suds which may may be thrown over the back end of the sudeboX A. The valve f admits of the plunger D passing readily back from the board G, obviating splashing of water and causing the plunger to work easily or with a moderate expenditure of power. The'bottom a we prefer to have made of sheet-metal, zinc being a good material. We bend the edges of the metal upward at right angles yto the main part and n't the bent edges in grooves made in the lower edges of the sides oi the suds-box A, and strips g may be nailed over'the zinc.

We do not claim a swinging pressure-board or plunger in connection with a stationary one, for they have been previously used but,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The swinging pressure-board or plunger D, provided with a valve,'f, in combination with the stationary pressureboard G, provided with oblique or inclined flutes or projections, all arranged as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the arm El, bent or curve-dinar l, shaft J, bar M, link N, and lever O, arranged substantially as shown, for the purpose of operating the swinging pressureboard or plunger D.

3. The fixed and movable bearings K K', provided each with a series of holes, o, for regulating the opera-tion of the pressure board or plunger D, relatively with the board G, as set forth, when used in combination with a catch, p, and toggle-lever H I, substantially as Vdescribed.' v

JAMES HANGHETT. JOSEPH R. GILL. Witnesses:

' SIMEoN BLAKE,

LEVI P. TAMLIN. 

